As Jacinta walked by the rows of neatly kept houses in her new neighborhood, she felt nervous. Today was really going to be something. After all, it was her first day at a new school, and that meant meeting all kinds of strangers—kids and teachers—in a building she was unfamiliar with. Would everyone be able to tell she didn’t know anyone and didn’t know where she was supposed to go? Would she able to make friends?
She kept remembering what her mother said while she was combing her hair that morning: “Just mind your manners, listen to your teachers, and don’t hang out with the wrong kids.”
Jacinta knew about the manners and listening part, but what did her mother mean by the “wrong kids”? At this point, Jacinta felt she would be glad to be hanging out with any kids at all! Besides, this was a nice neighborhood. How bad could the kids be?
It wasn’t long before this question was answered. While sitting in class, Jacinta heard two boys talking. One said he left his lunch on the bus. The other whispered that he could easily take another classmate’s lunch out of the closet. Jacinta felt disturbed, because this was the first time she had heard two people scheming to steal. Should she do anything about it?
Jacinta wondered. She wasn’t sure. She felt funny and bad when she thought about it, so she just tried to forget about it. But it stayed with her, in the back of her mind, all day. It spoiled her feelings about her new school. Was this a place where it was okay to steal? After morning classes, lunchtime finally came. Jacinta looked forward to having lunch with Susan, a nice girl in class who had asked her to sit with her in the lunchroom.
However, walking into the noisy, crowded cafeteria, Jacinta noticed one of the boys she had overheard. He dumped the contents of a bag lunch onto a tray, threw the empty bag in the trash, and quickly ate the food.
As she sat down to eat, Jacinta heard another student complaining that his lunch had “disappeared” from the closet.
“His lunch was stolen!” Jacinta thought. But what was she to do? Confront the thief with what he had done? Tell the student whose lunch was stolen what had happened? Tell a teacher? Do nothing? She felt funny and bad all over again as she looked at the hungry boy.
“What’s wrong?” Susan asked her.
Maybe Susan would laugh at her for making a big deal out of nothing. Maybe that was just the way things were at this school. Maybe everyone was used to it.
Miserably, Jacinta told Susan what was bothering her.
Susan said, “You should go tell the lunchroom supervisor.” She nodded her head firmly to urge Jacinta to do it. “I’ll go with you. Come on.”
The lunchroom teacher first made sure the boy without a lunch got fed. Then she called the boy who had stolen the lunch to go to the principal. He gave Jacinta and Susan a dirty look as he passed, which Susan shrugged off.
“I don’t care about the opinion of someone who’d steal somebody else’s lunch,” Susan said.
When Jacinta went home and told her mother all about her first day at school, her mother was proud. “You did everything I told you to. And especially you chose a good friend—Susan!”
Jacinta felt proud too. She was glad she had told. It had gotten rid of the funny and bad feeling she had every time she looked at the hungry boy whose lunch was stolen. She couldn’t wait until tomorrow when she could be at her new school again—she was already beginning to love it—and with her new friend Susan.
Questions for Reflection
1. What good thing happened to Jacinta on this first day in a new school?
2. What bad thing did she witness?
3. What do you think Jacinta should have done?
4. What would you have done?
5. What was the right thing to do?
6. What role did Jacinta’s mother play in her daughter’s first day at school?
7. Was it healthy for Jacinta to keep what she knew about the lunch theft to herself?
8. Is Susan a good friend for Jacinta?
Exercise
Sometimes we need the help and support of other people as we face challenges. What is the biggest challenge you as a student are facing? Are you winning the challenge? Figure out who—friends, parents, coaches, or teachers—could help you meet this challenge better, and approach them about it.
She kept remembering what her mother said while she was combing her hair that morning: “Just mind your manners, listen to your teachers, and don’t hang out with the wrong kids.”
Jacinta knew about the manners and listening part, but what did her mother mean by the “wrong kids”? At this point, Jacinta felt she would be glad to be hanging out with any kids at all! Besides, this was a nice neighborhood. How bad could the kids be?
It wasn’t long before this question was answered. While sitting in class, Jacinta heard two boys talking. One said he left his lunch on the bus. The other whispered that he could easily take another classmate’s lunch out of the closet. Jacinta felt disturbed, because this was the first time she had heard two people scheming to steal. Should she do anything about it?
Jacinta wondered. She wasn’t sure. She felt funny and bad when she thought about it, so she just tried to forget about it. But it stayed with her, in the back of her mind, all day. It spoiled her feelings about her new school. Was this a place where it was okay to steal? After morning classes, lunchtime finally came. Jacinta looked forward to having lunch with Susan, a nice girl in class who had asked her to sit with her in the lunchroom.
However, walking into the noisy, crowded cafeteria, Jacinta noticed one of the boys she had overheard. He dumped the contents of a bag lunch onto a tray, threw the empty bag in the trash, and quickly ate the food.
As she sat down to eat, Jacinta heard another student complaining that his lunch had “disappeared” from the closet.
“His lunch was stolen!” Jacinta thought. But what was she to do? Confront the thief with what he had done? Tell the student whose lunch was stolen what had happened? Tell a teacher? Do nothing? She felt funny and bad all over again as she looked at the hungry boy.
“What’s wrong?” Susan asked her.
Maybe Susan would laugh at her for making a big deal out of nothing. Maybe that was just the way things were at this school. Maybe everyone was used to it.
Miserably, Jacinta told Susan what was bothering her.
Susan said, “You should go tell the lunchroom supervisor.” She nodded her head firmly to urge Jacinta to do it. “I’ll go with you. Come on.”
The lunchroom teacher first made sure the boy without a lunch got fed. Then she called the boy who had stolen the lunch to go to the principal. He gave Jacinta and Susan a dirty look as he passed, which Susan shrugged off.
“I don’t care about the opinion of someone who’d steal somebody else’s lunch,” Susan said.
When Jacinta went home and told her mother all about her first day at school, her mother was proud. “You did everything I told you to. And especially you chose a good friend—Susan!”
Jacinta felt proud too. She was glad she had told. It had gotten rid of the funny and bad feeling she had every time she looked at the hungry boy whose lunch was stolen. She couldn’t wait until tomorrow when she could be at her new school again—she was already beginning to love it—and with her new friend Susan.
Questions for Reflection
1. What good thing happened to Jacinta on this first day in a new school?
2. What bad thing did she witness?
3. What do you think Jacinta should have done?
4. What would you have done?
5. What was the right thing to do?
6. What role did Jacinta’s mother play in her daughter’s first day at school?
7. Was it healthy for Jacinta to keep what she knew about the lunch theft to herself?
8. Is Susan a good friend for Jacinta?
Exercise
Sometimes we need the help and support of other people as we face challenges. What is the biggest challenge you as a student are facing? Are you winning the challenge? Figure out who—friends, parents, coaches, or teachers—could help you meet this challenge better, and approach them about it.